How can I save my course for safekeeping?
You should use the Archive or Export process to extract your course data into a single compressed file outside of Blackboard.
This file can then be later restored back into Blackboard. When you do this you will be given a link to the archive file, which is always in a ZIP compressed file format.
Note: you can extract uploaded files from this zip using standard zip file tools, like WinZip, but you cannot extract any of the other information, like student work, gradebook, or discussions.
Why should you do this?
- Do this as a safekeeping procedure. It is very important because once a course is deleted or removed from Blackboard, it can NOT be gotten back. Really. Never. Practice defensive computing and archive your data.
Remember: Any instructor could inadvertently remove any other Instructor’s course. And it has happened.
When should you archive?
- Once you have all the material in it at the beginning of a term, archive it before you make it available to students. Then you have a clean backup of the course. Archive again later on whenever you make major changes that you might want to save, especially at the end of the semester.
How to Archive a Course
- : Click on the Control Panel > Archive Course command.
- When the archive process is done, you should see a screen the says in small print: Status: The operation archive has completed.
- You must now save the archive file to your local computer hard drive. Follow the prompts and (in Windows) right click on the link:
Browser Notes:
- In Firefox (See image below), the menu will say “Save Link As”
- In Internet Explorer, the menu will say “Save Target As”
- In Safari, click the link and it will download to your desktop
- In the save dialog box, choose a place to save the file to your hard drive. The file name Blackboard creates will always of the form “ArchiveFile_” plus the course id. You can and should add to this filename to make it more descriptive; for instance, adding the term, year, or date to it.
- At the next screen, click the Submit button to start the process. The process may take some time (10 to 30 seconds) to complete depending on the size of your course.
Note: If you do not see the archive complete message, then archive process failed for some reason: DO NOT continue or remove your course. Please contact Randy first.
Click the Save button to complete the process.
How can I allow Librarians, T.A.s, and others to add course content for me?
Make them a Course Builder for the course.
It’s a two step process:
- First that person must enroll in your course as a Student. If you have Self-Enroll on, they can enroll just as any student would, or you can enroll them yourself via Control Panel > Enroll User
- Then you need to upgrade their role in the course to Instructor via Control Panel > List/Modify Users, find their name on the list, click the Properties button, then in Section 4 set their Role to Course Builder (see Additional Instructors Listed).
Some strange people are listed as Instructors besides me!
This usually happens when one of the Librarians who has uploaded Electronic Course Reserve content requested by you or your department secretary has inadvertently put themselves in the course as Instructor. If so, the students will see their names listed as Instructor alongside yours.
To correct this situation, you need to change their role in the course from Instructor to Course Builder.
Do this via Control Panel > List/Modify Users, find their name on the list, click the Properties button, then in Section 4 set their Role to Course Builder.
The role of Course Builder allows them to upload and manage course content without being the Instructor for the course.